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Urban gardens food for thought

KATHY RUMLESKI, The London Free Press

Wednesday, June 29, 2011
9:27:59 EDT AM

Maya Hirschman holds a ceramic jar from 1897, part of the Dig In exhibit now showing at Museum London. Stories, events and tools of the urban farming movement, including antique gardening tools and vintage food-canning instruments, will be on display until Sept. 10. (CRAIG GLOVER, The London Free Press)

The popularity of growing your own food and the Ontario government's campaign in recent years to buy local is a new spin on an old idea.

Almost a century ago, the federal government first started commissioning posters and films to promote victory gardens and rationing during the First World War.

The plots of land became known as war gardens or gardens for defence and they were part of a program to offset food shortages during the war.

A historical exhibition at Museum London explores victory gardens as well as the stories, events and tools of the urban farming movement.

Dig In: Urban Farming during War and Peace offers a look back at the different ways Londoners and their neighbours related to the earth around them, said Maya Hirschman, who curated the exhibition.

Hirschman, the museum's curator of regional history, said victory gardens were introduced during the First World War but really gained momentum during the Second World War. There was a global push then.

Victory garden posters and films became part of the war propaganda. There is a German poster on display showing the ills of food hoarding and another from the Canada Food Board (circa 1915) that states, "Patriot Canadians will not hoard food."

By the end of 1943 there were over 200,000 victory gardens in Canada.

"People were encouraged to grow their own," Hirschman said, and still are.

Today, there are other reasons to start gardens. People want to make sure they have a safe and reliable food supply, for one.

"There certainly has been an increased awareness and level of concern about pesticide use and how far your tomatoes are being shipped," Hirschman said.

"If they're coming over a long distance, they need to be resistant to bruising. There are questions of dyes and waxing."

The exhibition also underscores the benefits of gardening.

In the late 19th century, gardening was used as a metaphor for civic duty and responsibility, Dig In outlines. It was important in order to civilize rough towns and tame the countryside, was the belief.

Today, gardening is promoted as a way to commune with nature, but also as an opportunity to get some exercise and fresh air.

"Gardening is not just for grandma and grandpa," Hirschman said. "Everyone can garden and everyone should be encouraged to do it from a young age. It's so beneficial.

"It gets you out in the air, out of the house. It gets you active. People who have mobility issues are able to do some form of gardening. You get a great sense of pride and accomplishment when things you planted come to fruition. You've got a harvest or a beautiful flower bed and it's something you can take pride in. It's beneficial on a number of levels."

And once you have that harvest, preserving it for future use becomes important.

Part of Dig In also takes a look at the history of canning.

There are canning jars on display, including a ceramic one from 1897.

As part of the exhibition, a video was filmed of the Museum London Youth Council, all teenagers, learning how to can and preserve in a workshop by three chefs from Growing Chefs Ontario.

"They created a product at the end of it. They got to take it home and they left some at the museum for the exhibition," Hirschman said.

She said some of the teens had never handled a chopping knife and you can see them tentatively cutting rhubarb in the video.

As part of programming linked to this exhibit, Growing Chefs Ontario will also hold an interactive salad making workshop for children and their families on July 10 at 2:30 p.m.

Also on July 10, food columnist Sarah Elton will speak about her book Locavore: From Farmers' Fields to Rooftop Gardens, How Canadians are Changing the Way We Eat. That presentation is at 1 p.m.

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IF YOU GO

What: Dig In: Urban Farming during War and Peace

When: Until Sept. 10

Where: Museum London, 421 Ridout St. N.

Programming: On Canada Day, a kids' workshop on elemental gardening will be held between 1 and 4 p.m. Children will create wind dancers and seed balls.